Chess enthusiasts were treated to a thrilling spectacle over the May Day holiday as the chess tournament fever at Guangzhou Cultural Park reemerged. Two chess masters, Liu Dahua, the "Oriental Computer", and Hong Zhida, the "King of Chaotic Battles", played against a group of chess fans at the Xiguan Chess Academy on April 29th and 30th respectively. This event was one of the series of activities in the "Wuyang Cup" National Chess Championship. The fun of playing chess lies in having the strategies and tactics of millions of soldiers at your disposal, yet only deploying them within the confines of a small chessboard and competing move by move.

Blind chess, also known as blindfold chess, refers to a game where the player does not look at the chessboard or touch the pieces, but instead plays against the opponent by calling out moves. Blind chess requires a high level of memory and abstract thinking skills from the player.

One of the highlights of the event was Liu Dahua's incredible performance in a game of blind chess, where he played against six opponents simultaneously, relying solely on his memory and abstract reasoning skills. Liu, who previously set a record for playing against 19 opponents blindfolded in Beijing back in 1995, wowed the audience with his impressive memory and masterful gameplay, earning him the nickname "Oriental Computer".

Despite the intense nature of the games, Liu remained calm and collected, even taking the time to offer advice to young chess fans in attendance. "Don't give up on traditional training methods and focus on improving your basic skills," he advised.

Tag match draws chess fans to vie for front-row seats

On April 30th, Guangzhou Cultural Park hosted chess matches between master Hong Zhi and 20 chess lovers. In the world of chess, Hong Zhi's style is known for its fierceness and bravery, often winning in chaotic situations. He even won the gold medal in the men's individual chess competition at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games for Chinese Chess. In February of this year, he also won second place in the 30th "Wuyang Cup" Chess Championship.

Chess fans flock to witness the master's style

This event attracted a large number of chess fans to come and witness the master's skills firsthand. Some fans even arrived early to secure their front-row seats. One fan who had already watched Liu Dahua's blind chess game on April 29th was holding a chess set signed by Liu and excitedly shared it with his friends while waiting for Hong Zhi's tag match. During the match, Hong Zhi and his chess friends played a 1 vs. 20 tag match. One of the participants, a 7-year-old national-level chess player named Li Jinhong, calmly responded to Hong Zhi's moves.

The match lasted nearly three hours and ended at 7 pm. In the end, Hong Zhi won 16 games, and four were a draw. The chess fans cherished the opportunity to play against the master, and they all concentrated and carefully responded to the exciting game. This attracted a large number of chess enthusiasts to come and watch, some even traveled from out of town.

Mr. Wang, a citizen who came during the May Day holiday, learned that chess masters would face off against fans and rushed to the event. "The chess masters' battles with the fans were very exciting, and they interacted with us fans in a very friendly manner. They answered all our questions, and we were deeply inspired. Guangzhou is really working on promoting the Chinese chess culture."

The tournament was a resounding success, showcasing the enduring appeal of chess and the impressive skills of its most dedicated practitioners. It's clear that, for these chess masters, the thrill of the game lies not just in winning, but in the challenge of strategy and the joy of the journey.

图集｜1对20，象棋大师和棋迷现场过招

对弈之趣，在于胸有雄兵百万，却只布局于方寸棋盘之内、比拼于一招一式之间。“五一”假期，广州文化公园象棋赛热潮再次出现，“东方电脑”柳大华和“乱战天王”洪智两位象棋大师分别于4月29日和4月30日，和一众棋迷在西关棋院过招，这也是“五羊杯”全国象棋冠军邀请赛系列活动之一。

车轮战吸引棋迷“霸头位”

盲棋又称闭目棋，指眼睛不看棋盘、手不摸棋子，以唱棋的形式与对手对弈。盲棋对棋手的记忆能力与抽象思维能力要求很高。

柳大华于1995年在北京曾创下1对19人的盲棋纪录，赢得了“东方电脑”的美誉，他更是“五羊杯”全国象棋冠军邀请赛的首届冠军。在4月29日的棋赛现场，柳大华闭目背对大棋盘，气定神闲地以一敌六。

唱棋声刚落，柳大华不假思索地念出下一步棋，超群的记忆力和精湛的棋技令现场观众叹服。即使是高强度的对弈，柳大华依然有精力向现场棋迷讲解棋路。对于现场的年轻棋迷，柳大华给出中肯的学棋建议：“不要放弃传统的棋谱训练方法，要加强基本功的学习。”

棋赛令人着迷，4月30日，广州文化公园上演“乱战天王”、象棋大师洪智1对20车轮战。在象棋界，洪智的棋风有着勇猛刚烈的特征，善于乱中取胜，他更是2010年广州亚运会象棋男子个人赛金牌获得者。在今年2月第30届“五羊杯”象棋冠军邀请赛中，洪智获得亚军。

吸引大批棋迷到来，一睹大师风采

在比赛开始前，有棋迷已早早到场“霸头位”。在4月29日观战了柳大华盲棋战的棋迷，捧着柳大华亲笔签名的棋具与朋友分享，并激动地期待着洪智的车轮战。比赛开始，洪智与棋友上演1对20车轮战。其中，7岁的黎晋弘是年龄较小的参赛选手，这名国家一级棋士淡定地应对洪智的一招一式。

比赛持续到19时，历时近3小时的车轮战结束，最终洪智取得16胜，有4盘是和棋。棋迷非常珍惜与大师对弈的机会，他们个个凝神沉思，认真应对精彩的棋赛吸引了广大棋迷前来观战，甚至有棋迷从外地慕名而来。

市民王先生得知有象棋大师现身和棋迷过招，特意在“五一”假期赶来：“象棋大师和棋迷的对战很精彩，他们也很亲切地与我们棋迷互动，有问必答，我们深受启发，广州棋文化氛围十分浓厚。”

文｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 马思泳 通讯员 荔宣
图｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 陈秋明
译｜刘佳慧
责编 | 王楠